Review Roundup: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Starring Jason Alexander at La Mirada Theatre

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment's production of Fiddler on the Roof starring Tony Award-winner Jason Alexander as “Tevye” will run through Sunday, December 1, 2024 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. 
 
This legendary musical about family, love, faith, and “Tradition,” features a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, original Broadway production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, originally produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince, musical direction by Alby Potts, choreography by Lee Martino and direction by Lonny Price.                                                                                                             

Featuring songs including “Tradition,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” and “To Life (L’Chaim!),” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and life, love, and laughter.  Our beautiful production will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration which raises its cup to joy!  To love! To life!                                               

Joining Jason Alexander as “Tevye,” the cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF also features: Valerie Perri as “Golde,” Rachel Ravel as “Tzeitel,” Alanna J. Smith as “Hodel,” Emerson Glick as “Chava,” Cameron Mabie as “Motel,” Remy Laifer as “Perchik,” Sawyer Patterson as “Fyedka,” Eileen T’Kaye as “Yente,” Ron Orbach as “Lazar Wolf,” Gregory North as “Constable,” Catherine Last as “Shprintze,” Ava Giselle Field as “Bielke,” David Prottas as “The Fiddler” & “Yussel,”  Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper as “Mordcha,” Hayden Kharrazi as “Mendel,” Ryan Dietz as “Avram,” Marc Moritz as “Rabbi,” Daniel Stromfeld as “Nachum,” Jean Kauffman as “Grandma Tzeitel”, Gwen Hollander as “Fruma-Sarah,” Dana Weisman as “Shaindel,” and Hannah Nicole Sedlacek as “Fredel,”  The Ensemble will feature (in alphabetical order): Anthony Cannarella , Michael James, Bruno Koskoff, Gavin Leahy, Mark C. Reis, Michalis Schinas, Chad A. Vaught, and Michael Wells.  The Swings are Bailey Herskowitz, Charley Rowan McCain, and Donovan Mendelovitz. See what the critics are saying...

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Michael Quintos, BroadwayWorld: Combining humor, heart, and profoundly relatable themes, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF continues to be an appealing, emotionally-searing show. And in the hands of Price, Alexander, and this talented cast and creative team, the show can hold on proudly to its storied legacy and its revered space in the world of musical theater. 

Imaan Jalali, LA Excites: Overall, La Mirada Theatre and McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s Fiddler on the Roof is as powerful now, viewed through a contemporary lens, as it was in 1964. The story’s subject matter — be it stubborn tradition, eventual adaptation, or disenfranchisement — is forever germane as we’re unfortunately again reminded of an unyielding bigotry seeding the senseless targeting of social or racial groups. And with a superstar in Jason Alexander who refuses to rest on his laurels, adamant about proving a point (or two), La Mirada Theatre’s profile is not only raised, but its Fiddler is yet another candidate for best musical of the year. This is exponentially impressive given this comes on the heels of La Mirada’s previous show, the universally lauded Waitress.

The Show Report: If I were a rich man, I wouldn't think twice about paying the $180 for an up-close and personal premium ticket to the soulful new Jason Alexander production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, holding forth at La Mirada Theatre through December 1st. But even if I were a lowly peasant, even if I didn't have two kopeks to rub together, I would still cobble up enough for a seat in the balcony ($34). The creative team, led by Director Lonny Price, finds a new handle on what is already a can't-fail musical, full of classic songs and universal themes. It is a sober revival, sentimental, headstrong and emotionally charged.

Michael M. Landman-Karny, Stage and Cinema: This production, while traditional in approach, subtly refreshes Tevye’s central dilemma — balancing the demands of fatherhood and faith in a village where the ground is rapidly shifting beneath him. Alexander brings an accessible warmth and dignity to the role, underscoring Tevye’s resistance to change without letting him fall into caricature. His portrayal deepens the questions that Fiddler has always posed to its audiences: What happens when the forces of change cannot be resisted? And how does one reconcile a love of tradition with the knowledge that those traditions may no longer sustain the next generation?

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